The Environmental Protection Agency finally banned chrysotile asbestos on Monday March 18th which has caused asbestos lung cancer, mesothelioma and other illnesses that the agency estimates is responsible for about 40,000 U.S. deaths each year.
The federal ban comes more than 30 years after EPA first tried to rid the nation of asbestos, but was blocked by a federal judge. While the use of asbestos in manufacturing and construction has declined since, it remains a significant health threat.
“Folks, it’s been a long road. But with today’s ban, EPA is finally slamming the door on a chemical so dangerous that it has been banned in more than 50 countries,” said EPA administrator Michael Regan.
The agency’s ban targets chrysotile asbestos, also known as “white asbestos,” the only type of asbestos fiber that was still being used regularly in the United States. Resistant to heat and fire, the mineral is used by companies that make vehicle braking systems and sheet gaskets. Chemical manufacturers have also defended its continued use in making chlorine, which utilities use to purify drinking water, as well as in pharmaceuticals and pesticides.
In 2016, America’s long delay in confronting asbestos prompted bipartisan concern among members of Congress, who voted to overhaul the law, giving the EPA sweeping new authority to protect people from toxins. They finally were able to ban asbestos that most folks thought had already been banned decades ago.
Imports of asbestos-containing brake locks, which have exposed car mechanics to the deadly airborne fibers, will be phased out after six months. And asbestos gaskets will be banned after two years.
Although use of asbestos has declined, Alan Pickert of Terrell Hogan law still routinely represents construction workers, folks who served in the miliary aboard ships, powerhouse and papermill workers, and numerous other folks who unfortunately have breathed asbestos fibers over the years. “I have successfully resolved over 4,000 lawsuits for clients who have developed asbestos related illnesses over the past 30 years and still do so now.”
